Tristan Vautier caught the motorsport bug at age 4 when his father, Eric, who had just set up the Laquais circuit, let him try his hand at karting. Five years later, Vautier asked him for a proper racing kart and a few days after his 10th birthday he took part in his first race.

At the start it was a hobby, but little by little he got caught up in the sport and in his first-ever full competitive season, he picked up his first title as Champion of the Rhône Alpes League, which he won again in 2002. He did his first laps in a car behind the wheel of a Formula Ford at the age of 13 at the Laquais circuit.

Vautier earned the 2011 Star Mazda championship and the 2012 Firestone Indy Lights title before moving up to the IndyCar Series.

He is fluent in French and English. He enjoys all types of sports, especially mountain biking, running and cross-country skiing.

INDYCAR SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

First start: March 24, 2013 (St. Petersburg)

2013
• Finished 20th in IndyCar Series standings for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
• Recorded best finish of 10th at Barber after starting season-high third.
• Led first career lap at Belle Isle.
• Earned Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.

ROAD TO INDYCAR SERIES

2012• Finished first in Firestone Indy Lights standings for Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
• Recorded victories at St. Petersburg opener, Milwaukee, Trois Rivieres and Baltimore.
• Had 10 top-five finishes in 12 races.
• Earned the pole at St. Petersburg, Milwaukee, Iowa, Trois Rivieres and Baltimore.
• Was running at the finish in 11 of the 12 races.

2011
• Won the Star Mazda Championship for JDC Motorsports with four wins, six podiums and four poles in 11 starts.
• Won at Barber, Trois Rivieres -1, Infineon and Baltimore.
• Finished in the top-five in every start.

2010
• Finished fifth in Star Mazda Championship for Andersen Racing with two wins, including season opener at Sebring.
• Scored three podiums, five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.

Dale Coyne Racing is a long-standing staple in open-wheel racing. Starting in 1984 as a driver/owner, Coyne ran several seasons of Indy car races. For several years the team raced with a stock-block engine, making Coyne a fan favorite. With the technical expertise of Coyne, the team built its own chassis in 1986, known as the DC-1.

Stepping out of the cockpit in 1990, Coyne turned his talents to the tutelage of several up-and-coming drivers. From Dean Hall in 1990 to Paul Tracy in 1991 and beyond, Coyne’s ability to recruit and coach drivers has shown well for drivers who have competed with this seasoned team.

Before making the transition to the Verizon IndyCar Series full time in 2008, the team competed in the Champ Car World Series with drivers such as Oriol Servia, Cristiano da Matta, Katherine Legge, Bruno Junqueira, Alex Barron and Michel Jourdain Jr.

Dale Coyne Racing recorded its first victory in July 2009 at Watkins Glen International with Justin Wilson behind the wheel.